Question Summary:
Giving commission for IT interns

Question Detail:

Assalaamu alaykum waRehmatullah , I am running an IT training company which primarily deals with imparting training in Networking certification courses to candidates particularly coming from Engineering backgrounds . Alhumdulillah, many of our students got placed in good companies after our training. Seeing this, some faculty members /professors of a known Engineering college approached and told us that they would send a lot of students from their college to us for short term internships /IT trainings, which is a mandatory part of an Engineering degree. But, they want a commission/a monetary beneifit/a cut from the fee that we charge for the training programme/internship. We already have students coming from that college and enrolling for internships/trainings all on their own, with no references at all. The students though have to seek written permission from these professors to join any company for these internships /training programmes. With more and more students opting for our company, the professors were forced to come forward and talk to us regarding benefits. This commission will go in their personal accounts and not the college's account . I guess, the college authorities do not know about this. I have already avoided them because I feel this is wrong. I feel they will now discourage students not to enrol in our company or simply won't give permission to do so. But, if giving commission is wrong, so be it. Please confirm it for me. Because I feel I have to face similar situations from other Colleges as well. Jazakallah.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Your understanding of the issue is correct. The students are enrolling in your firm of their own volition. When the professors approach you regarding their commission, inform them that you will discuss the issue with the college authorities. You should continue providing excellent services which will attract the attention of the students. Do not agonize over the influence the professors may have over the students. Your firm should not become a center of bribery. You will end up suffering the negative consequences of that.[1]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

[1]

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 63)

وفي الحاوي: سئل محمد بن سلمة عن أجرة السمسار، فقال: أرجو أنه لا بأس به وإن كان في الأصل فاسدا لكثرة التعامل

فتاوى قاسمية ٢١/٦٦٣-٦٧٠

سنن الترمذي(3/ 16)

لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الراشي والمرتشي

الرسائل الزينية في مذهب الحنفية ١٩٧-٢٠٥